This is my story of using mindful somatic movement and dance to heal chronic pain, release trauma, and find greater freedom in my body. I employed the very modalities I now teach to others. In my Azul Conscious Movement and Dance practice, I moved through layers of emotional and energetic blocks, leading to profound healing.
I used to be highly logical, a "thinker," always needing to understand everything rationally. Through body-based practices, I realized that my body held the answers, not my mind, which often created endless loops. In my "ABM NeuroMovement" training, with slow, gentle movements on the floor, I first learned to truly feel my body. I discovered how my physical movements reflected my thoughts and emotions. By addressing these connections, I forged new neural pathways for movement, thought, and being, leading to pain reduction and greater mental freedom. Understanding that all the answers lay within my body—not my thinking mind—was transformative.
As I embarked on teacher training for conscious movement work, after years of participating in intensive workshops, I explored deep childhood wounds and habitual fears. Gradually, I found more freedom in my ways of being through embodied movement practices. I became more open, loving, and heart-centered, which is the essence of Azul work. It helps "awaken love" by releasing layers of energetic blocks that often cause pain and limitation.
To grow as spiritual beings in physical bodies, we need self-awareness and a modality to release what no longer serves us. For me, this was the vehicle. I released more through this method than in years of psychotherapy. What amazed me was that not only did past reactions to events disappear, but they also left my body completely.
In "The Body Keeps the Score," Professor Van Der Kolk explains how everything is stored in the body. His research highlights the effects of traumatic stress on the mind and body. By deeply listening to and through the body, we discover what lies within us. Our body’s intelligence can guide us toward truth. In our practice, we focus our attention on our body and listen to what it tells us.
In Azul Dance, we move in response to our body’s needs, exploring different movement qualities and energy flows using the "Spiral Map" created by my teacher. With music and guided instructions, we bring awareness to specific body parts, letting it spread throughout the body until we feel fully embodied. We allow the music and our bodies to guide us, moving freely without prescribed steps. Each person’s movement is unique and beautiful, guided by what feels good and the messages that arise during the dance. As we immerse deeper, the thinking mind quiets, and the body speaks. This process is often described as "ecstatic," but for me, it is more of a "moving meditation," a true surrender to the dance, the music, and the moment. Present moment awareness becomes effortless in somatic practices like these, not just dance.
This practice can also be a simple, joyful hour of dancing without the intent of deep exploration, just enjoying movement. Often, it evolves into deeper experiences, leaving people feeling freer physically, mentally, and emotionally. I am immensely grateful for the somatic practices that have helped me overcome chronic pain, autoimmune issues, rigid mental constructs, and deep body trauma. Now, I feel lighter, freer, happier, and even younger! You can too!